Joanne Lawrence-Bourne is a clinical psychologist based in Orange, NSW. Joanne has a background in midwifery, reproductive counselling, and education. She understands the wide range of psychological implications involved in navigating ‘normal’ pregnancy and parenting, infertility treatment decisions, debriefing after pregnancy and birth complications, birth trauma, grief and loss, childlessness, partner mental health concerns, relationship challenges, as well as moments of joy and satisfaction. Everyone’s reproductive journey is unique, yet there are also shared common experiences. Joanne draws from different psychotherapeutic modalities according to individual needs.

Joanne holds a Master of Midwifery, an Honours Degree in Psychology, a Master of Clinical Psychology, and a PhD. Her Midwifery thesis focused on ‘normal’ anxiety for new parents, while her Psychology Honours research and PhD examined the experience of male childlessness. The results of her research have been presented at the 50th Australian Psychological Society (APS) conference, the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology (SRIP) conference at Hull University in the UK, and the 21st Congress of Nordic Midwifery conference in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Joanne has also participated in podcast conversations in the UK regarding the experiences of childlessness and loneliness for both women and men; contributed to Men’s Mental Health forums in Australia; and provided psychological support for women and couples undergoing fertility treatments through locally based national fertility organisations. More recently, she has been working with Gidget Foundation Australia in Perinatal Mental Health.

With over 20 years of experience in the reproductive space, Joanne has never lost interest in what she believes to be one of the most fundamental topics in human society: the biopsychosocial (physical, psychological, and social) expectations and implications surrounding the experience of having (or not having) children.